Bed-bottom.



No. 628,498. Patented luly ll, I899.v J. E. SUMMERS.

BED BOTTOM.

[Application filed June 30, 1898,)

No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. SOMMERS, OF NORTH BALTIMORE, OHIO.

BED-BOTTOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,498, dated July 11,1899.

Application filed June 30, 1898.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN E. SQMMERS, a citizen'of the United States,residing at North Baltimore, in the county of Wood and State ofOhio, have invented a new and useful Bed- Bottom, of which the followingis a specifica tion.

My invention relates to bed-bottoms, and has for its object to providea-simple, compact, and efficient construction and arrangement of partsinclusive of an adjustable headrest, which is held in its normal orelevated position bythe combined operation of a springframe andsupporting-springs of the spiral type,and, furthermore, to provide sucha relative construction of spiral springs and connections between thesame and the bracingframe as to maintain the parts of the bed-bottompermanently in their operative positions and prevent such displacementas to render the. members or elements thereof either partially or whollyinoperative.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure l is a plan view of a bed-bottom constructed in accordance withmy invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is atransverse section taken parallel with and contiguous to the planes ofthe transverse braces of the retaining-frame.

Similar numerals of reference indicate cor responding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The supporting-frame of the bed-bottom embodying my invention may, asillustrated in the drawings, consist of longitudinal side andintermediate bars 1, connected by crossbars 2, upon which the spiralbody-springs 3 are seated. Preferably located at the center of eachgroup of body-springs is a connecting-ring 4, by which the inner ends ofcoiled connecting-springs 5 are united, said connecting-springsradiating from the rings and being attached at their outer extremitiesto the upper coils of the body-springs 3. Also the body-springs areconnected longitudinally Serial No. 684,811. (No model.)

nal and transverse intermediate springs 7, whereby all of the intervalsbetween the body springs are occupied to form a uniform surface suitablefor upholding a mattress or the equivalent thereof.

The head-rest includes a bar 8, arranged transversely above the head endof the supporting-frame and supported by head-rest springs 9, which areseated upon the crossbars 2, and this head-rest bar is of a lengthgreater than the interval between the outermost sides of the sidemarginal body-springs 3 and is connected with the side arms of a U-shaped retaining-frame 10, which forms the border of the bed-bottom inthe plane of the uppermost coils of the body-springs and which iscontinuous and of stout wire. The side arms of the retaining-frame 10are upwardly deflected contiguous to the transverse line of bodysprings3,which -is near the head-rest bar 8, and the head-rest bar is connectedwith the springs of said adjacent transverse series by means of rings atand radiating springs 5, which occupy relative positions analogous tothose described herein for connecting the b0dy-springs in the horizontalportion of the bedbottom. The elevation of the head-rest bar 8 iscontrolled by limiting or stop chains 11, attached at their lower endsto the supporting-frame by means of hooks or keepers 12 and having theirlinks detachably engaged with hooks 13 on the head-rest bar. It isobvious that in order to lower the head-rest it is simply necessary todepress the same manually to engage the hooks 13 with those links of thechains 11 which will maintain it at the desired adjustment.

As above indicated, a function of the frame 10 is to maintain themovable parts of the bed-bottom in their operative positions, and inorder to accomplish this I provide a direct and positive connectionbetween each of the marginal body-springs 3 and the frame 10, saidconnections consisting of links 14:,which radiate, respectively, fromthe body-springs. A convenient construction of link is to extend theupper terminal of each body-spring through a coiled eye 15, and thencecarry it radially to the retaining-frame, whereby the link is integralwith the uppermost coil of the body-spring and is approximately rigid.In

addition to the increased strength derived from this construction itwill be seen that the number of parts is diminished, as well as thenumber of joints between the parts, and the loose end of .the spring,which in the ordinary practice must be wrapped or otherwise shielded toprotect a superposed mattress, is conveniently disposed. In other words,the loose end of each marginal body-spring forms the link by whichconnection is made with the retaining-frame, and the outer end of thislink being passed over and then doubled upon itself it is obvious thatthe extremity thereof will lie under thebody portion of the link, andthus will be held out of contact with a superposed fabric.

In addition to the main limiting-chains 11 I employ auxiliaryintermediate limitingchains 11, connecting the side arms of theretaining-frame with a supporting-frame approximately in the plane ofthat transverse series of body-springs 3 which is arranged adjacenttothe head-rest bar, and hence near the upward bends formed in the sidearms of the retaining-frame at the point of junction of the head-restwith the body portion of the bed-bottom. Thus the use of the U-shapedretaining-frame forms a direct connection between the marginal springsof the bed-bottom, and as each intermediate spring is connected with aplurality of marginal springs, while the marginal springs are in turnconnected by the springs 6 parallel with the adjacent portions of theretaining-frame, it is obvious that relative displacement of themembers, and particularly of the body-springs, is rendered practicallyimpossible, except by the absolute breakage of one or more of theelements. The retention of the parts in their proper positions, however,is made still more positive by the use, as shown in Fig. 2, of aplurality of guy-springs 16, extending longitudinally and downwardlyfrom intermediate and marginal body-springs to the cross-bars 2, whichare located near the head and foot of the bed-bottom. These guy-springsare especially desirable in connection with one or more transverse linesof body-springs located at an intermediate point of the bed-bottom,where the major portion of the weight of a superposed body is applied.

To prevent transverse contraction or yielding of the retaining-frame, Ihave shown a pair of bracing-arms 17, having a securingarm 18,-whichpreferably extends from a longitudinal supporting-frame bar 1 at oneside of the bed-bottom to the center longitudinal bar of said frame,while the bracing-arm proper, which is a continuation of saidsecuring-arm, springs from said central longitudinal bar and thenceextends in an upwardly and outwardly inclined direction to anintermediate point of the retaining-frame, to which it is secured. Alsoeach bracingTarm is preferably provided at an intermediatepoint,preferably adjacent to its inner end or adjacent to the center ofthe supporting-frame, with a yielding coil 19, which allows verticalmove ment of the retaining-frame, while preventing horizontalcontraction thereof, and hence serving efiectually to prevent the.displacement of the body-springs.

The device embodying my invention is simple, the same being particularlydesirable for use in connection with invalid-beds, where it is necessaryto adjust the elevation of the head of the patient with the leastpossible disturbance of and inconvenience to the patient, and it will beunderstood that various changes in the form, proportion, and the minordetails of construction may be resorted to without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. Abed-bottomhavingasupporting-frame, and body-springs seated at their lower endsthereon, a U-shaped-frame rod arranged in the plane of the uppermostcoils of the bodysprings and havingits arms provided with upwardlyinclined or deflected terminal portions, links extending from the uppercoils of the marginal body-springs to the frame-rod,

a plurality of these links being integral with said springs toyieldingly support the frame rod, a head-rest bar attached to theextremities of said upturned portions of the side arms of the framerod,supporting-springs for the head-rest bar, and means for limiting theupward movement of said bar, substantially as specified.

2. Abed-bottom havingasupporting-frame, body-springs seated at theirlower ends upon the supporting-frame, a head-rest bar ar-' ranged abovethe plane of the uppermost coils of the body-springs, supporting-springsfor the head-rest bar, a U-shaped-frame rod arranged in the plane of theupper coils of the body-springs and having its side arms provided withupwardly deflected or inclined terminal portions attached at theirextremi ties to said head-rest bar, a link extending radially from theuppermost coil of each bodyspring and attached to the frame rod, andtransversely-disposed bracing-arms secured at their inner ends to thesupporting-frame, inclining upward and outward toward, and attached attheir outer extremities to, the side arms of the frame-rod, saidbracing-arms being provided with intermediate springcoils, substantiallyas specified.

3. A bed-bottom having a supporting-frame, body and head-rest springsseated upon the supporting-frame, a head-rest bar arranged upon saidsupporting-springs, means for limiting the upward movement of thehead-rest bar, a U-shaped-frame rod having the extremities of its sidearms upturned and attached to the head-rest bar, the body portion ofsaid frame-rod being arranged in the plane of the uppermost coils of thebody-springs and outside of the same, rigid connections between theuppermost coils of the marginal body-springs and the frame-rod,intermediate connections between the body-springs, guy-springs 16extending longitudinally from intermediate body -springs toward theextremities of the supporting frame and attached at their outer endsthereto, and intermediate limiting devices connecting the arms of theframe rod with the supporting-frame approximately in the transverseplane of that series of body-springs which is adjacent to the :ohead-rest bar, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. SOMMERSi Witnesses i CHAS. F. BLACK, B. L. PETERS;

